


equilibrium

by hyokunah



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Hufflepuff Johnny, Johnny is kind of an ass in the beginning, Johnyong, M/M, Making Out, Slow Burn, Slytherin Taeyong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-07 16:01:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20978588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyokunah/pseuds/hyokunah
Summary: Taeyong knows he's not going to make it to his seventh year and he's okay with that. Youngho knows he's misusing his power as a Prefect but he wants revenge.





	equilibrium

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta-ed so excuse me for any spelling or grammar mistakes. 
> 
> This idea has been on my mind for a while so I had to get it out, hope you enjoy!
> 
> It's been a long time since I've written something so this is pretty mediocre, sorry for that.

Taeyong is scared. So scared he's shaking. He doesn't know where he is, why he's here and who these people are. "Mommy, why are we here?", he asks from where he's seated in her lap. He's looking up at her, big eyes filling up with little tears. His mother tears her eyes away from the masked men in front of her, a hand finding it's way to the top of her son's head. "Hush now, Tae. It's better to stay quiet for a while. Can you be mommy's good boy and do that for me?" The toddler nods, determined to make his mommy proud. From that point on, it doesn't take Taeyong long to fall asleep. The last thing his little brain can process are words that will determine the rest of his life. "He's the new Dark Lord, misses Lee. It's written in his prophecy."

-

Yougho hates Slytherins, he absolutely loathes them. They've been on his ass since first year. All because of him getting sorted into Hufflepuff, a great House may he add. He's been dealing with them in silence for five years now but his time for revenge has finally come. This in the form of a shiny badge pinned to his robes, the Prefect badge. The joy he felt when he got it in the mail is indescribable. He won't let them get away with it anymore. He's done with letting them walk over everyone. He's done with letting them feel superior. Youngho is going to teach them all a lesson and he's going to start with the root of the problem: Taeyong Lee.

Taeyong isn't a bully, not at all. He's quite the opposite actually, he's so kind that it makes him naive. And when you're in the snake pit, being naive is not a good thing. Trust him, he knows. He knows people take advantage of him, blame him for everything. He knows people outside of his House see him as a bully. In other words, it doesn't come to a surprise when on the first day of school, a fifth-year Hufflepuff he vaguely recognizes as Seo Youngho, corners him and tells him to watch out. A glance towards his chest tells him all he needs to know. Prefect. "Look, Prefect, I don't want any troubles. So just back off and let me enjoy my breakfast, yeah?" Taeyong tries to act confident, he tries to seem unbothered but deep down his heart is beating like crazy. He's always been easily intimidated and just the mere size of Youngho scares him off. "Don't pretend as if you don't know what I'm cornering you for", the Hufflepuff spats in his way. Taeyong winces slightly before answering him. "Look, Youngho right? Look Youngho, I really don't know why you're angry at me but I'm sorry. Can I now please go? My friends are waiting for me." A quick glance to the side confirms that his friends are indeed waiting for him. Youngho, not having any other choice, reluctantly lets Taeyong go. He scurries off, not throwing the taller another glance.

The interaction stays with him throughout the rest of the day. During charms he tries to remember what he has done to Youngho. During potions, in an attempt to ignore Yuta and Sicheng's glaring eyes, he tries to come up with a way to find out what he did without having to ask someone. During lunch, when he's squished in between Yuta and Kun, his mind wanders to the tall Hufflepuff again. His watchdogs obviously notice just how absent their 'leader' is. "My Lord, what's going on?" As soon as those words leave Kun's lips, Taeyong's skin begins to scrawl and he hates it, hates them. He hates that he has to stay friends with them, hates that they call themselves his 'supporters' and hates that they will inevitably be his cause of death. "Don't call me that." He tries to stay calm, tries to not let them get to him. "I am not who you and everyone in that goddamn order wants me to be." A shocked gasp leaves Sicheng's mouth as he looks over at Taeyong. "You can't just say that! It's in your prophecy! You're our new Lord, the one who will save us from all those filthy mudbloods." Taeyong sighs and shakes his head, slowly getting up. It's a fight he can't win anyway. "I'm going to get some studying done." Yuta is already halfway in the air when Taeyong stops him. "Don't fucking follow me. Tell Kang she can reprimand me again. I don't care." With that he leaves the Great Hall, knowing he'll be sent a punishment by dawn. He doesn't care. He's used to the cruciatus curse by now. It doesn't faze him anymore. He just hopes Kun will be the one that has to perform it, he's always been more lenient for him.

Once he's out of sight of them three, and the rest of the students, he lets a few tears roll down his face. If this is going to be an example of how the rest of his days are going to be he's not sure if he will even make it to his seventh year. Scratch that, he's certain he won't make it to his seventh year. Either his 'supporters' get him killed during a punishment or he gets tortured to death when he goes 'home' for the holidays. This knowledge should make him scared or sad even but honestly, he's very okay with it. He doesn't want to be the next Dark Lord, doesn't want to be a puppet in a fucked up game. And if they don't kill him, some hero type of person probably will. At least, if they finally find out that the Death Eaters aren't extinct and that they're brewing another war. Taeyong wonders why nobody has seen the clear signs yet... has the Ministry always been so dumb? The answer to that is probably yes but his train of thought doesn't get that far. He's interrupted by, well by himself really. Without noticing, Taeyong had walked straight into someone. The impact makes him stumble back but before he can trip over, two arms pull him upright. Taeyong's ready to apologize until he sees the person he walked into. Seo Sehun. "Well well well, who do we have here?" Taeyong closes his eyes briefly and takes a deep breath. "Hello, Sehun." "Oh don't hello me, Taeyong. Care to explain to me why my dear little brother has already talked my ear off about you during this lovely first day?" Taeyong swallows nervously before shrugging. "I-I don't know, Sehun. He cornered me this morning but that's all." Sehun's eyes soften, making Taeyong feel uncomfortable. "He still thinks you're the one responsible for all the trouble the Slytherins are causing?" The tone he uses is soft, filled with pity. Taeyong hates it. "Everyone does Sehun, you know that." "But it's not true-" Taeyong sighs and wiggles out of the other's grip. "Nobody cares that it isn't true. Will you now please excuse me? I have a free period that I want to dedicate to studying." Before Sehun can utter another word, Taeyong is out of sight. "But's it's just the first day-"

"Don't think about Sehun. Don't think about Sehun. Don't think about Sehun", is all Taeyong can think about on his way to the library. As if running into one Seo wasn't bad enough, now he had to run into Sehun too. He shakes the nasty feeling off as he enters the library, sniffing up the smell of parchment and books. Ah, home. "Hello, Taeyong dear." He averts his attention to Professor Liu and smiles softly. "Hello Professor Liu, am I first this time?" The Professor smiles softly before shaking her head. "No can do, Doyoung was here before breakfast." Taeyong groans before laughing too. "Of course he was. Is he still here?" "Walked in about twenty minutes ago. You know where to find him, right?" she says. "Restricted section. I wonder how he always does that." Professor Liu shrugs, seemingly not knowing herself. "I guess Professor Wang likes him a lot. Now off you go, I want to enjoy the rest of this book." Taeyong nods and bows before scurrying off to the restricted section. It doesn't take him long to find the raven-haired guy, sitting hunched over a book, some parchment next to him. "And which book are we researching today?" He plops down opposite of Doyoung, resting his head on his arms. "Shut up, Lee. It's getting interesting," the Ravenclaw says without tearing his eyes away from the book. "It's good to see you too, Doyoungie." A faint smile appears on the other's face. "Can't say I've missed you, you're always so damn nosy." Taeyong giggles, hiding his smile behind his hand. "Oh Doie, I missed you." Doyoung finally shuts his book and gets up, walking over to Taeyong. "Get up and hug me, brat." Taeyong scrambles to get up, finding his place in Doyoung's arms. "Yongie, you've lost weight. Are you not getting fed or what?" Taeyong erupts in giggles again, shaking his head. "You're overexaggerating." They stay silent for a while, just enjoying being in each other's presence.

"Permission slips, please?" Their sweet moment is interrupted by none other than Youngho Seo. "Oh for fucks sake, who gave you the badge? Has Headmaster Kim fallen on his head?" Taeyong's eyes widen at Doyoung's outburst. "Doie, don't." Doyoung silences him with his hand and Taeyong has no choice but to keep quiet. "Talking back to a Prefect, Doyoung? You're just begging me to take House points, huh?", the Hufflepuff says with a mean glint in his eyes. Doyoung scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're only allowed to take House points if I'm doing something wrong, which I'm not. I'm just merely questioning your ability of being a Prefect. And I have every right to do so. Besides, you've just proven my point, it's the first day back and you're already misusing your position. I'm not dumb, I know you'll do anything in your might to get Taeyong expelled..." Youngho doesn't even let Doyoung finish before opening his own mouth. "Ten points from Ravenclaw for inappropriately accusing a Prefect." Doyoung is ready to pounce on him but Taeyong stops him, taking a hold of his elbow. "Doyoung, stop. Don't give him the satisfaction of landing you in detention." Taeyong looks at Doyoung pleadingly, not wanting him to get into more trouble. "Yes listen to your little snake friend. I asked you for your permission slips to be here." Taeyong can feel Doyoung's anger, can feel he's about to burst. He decides to take action before Doyoung can. "I don't have one, give me detention or something." Youngho smirks before handing him his detention. "Of course you don't have one. Snakes like you just think you can slither your way through everything huh? You think you're so mighty that you can do whatever you want? Well, you're wrong. A week of detention." Youngho doesn't even bother to check Doyoung's slip before striding off, leaving a fuming Ravenclaw behind. "He's such a fucking ass. All because of his little Hufflepuff pride getting hurt by Slytherins that aren't you! He's going to pay, I'm telling you. He's going to have one hell of a year during potions with me." Taeyong lets Doyoung ramble on for a bit before sighing. "Doie, don't land yourself in trouble. It's your O.W.Ls year. You need to focus. Don't mind him, I'll be fine. A week of detention won't kill me," Taeyong says in an attempt to soothe him. "Don't you get it, Taeyong? He's going to keep on finding little things to land you in detention. He's going to ruin your year!" Taeyong snorts and lays a hand on Doyoung's shoulder. "He's the least of my problems and you know that. Now let's go to class huh, wouldn't want to get detention for getting late." Doyoung scoffs at his words but gets his stuff anyway, escorting Taeyong to his Herbology class before going to his own.

His week of detention goes by surprisingly easy. He only needs to take care of the Thestrals and it gives him an opportunity to get away from his watchdogs. He hasn't even received his punishment from the Death Eaters yet so he's quite happy. He spends most of his time in the library with Doyoung, occasionally going for a fly with him. Doyoung is his only real friend and he's grateful for him. He also has to keep him a secret, doesn't want to involve him in the mess that is his life. He already made the mistake of involving someone once and he won't do it again. The days he's not in the library or in detention, he's in the common room, dozing off by the fire. Most of the time he's able to ignore Kun's, Sicheng's and Yuta's watching eyes so that's a good thing too. "Taeyong are you in?" Taeyong jumps up, having zoned out for a while. "Huh?" he asks, not really interested at all. "We're going to put some Dungboms in the Hufflepuff common room tonight," answers some third-year Taeyong doesn't know. "And why are we doing that?"His annoyance is clear in his tone but they don't seem to care. "Because they're Hufflepuffs, duh. Really Taeyong, sometimes you're so stupid." Taeyong rolls his eyes and waves them away. "You do you, I don't care and I don't want to be involved at all. I'm going to bed." As soon as he stands up, three other figures follow him. He rolls his eyes and goes to his dormitory. They undress in silence and as soon as Taeyong lays down he hears a chorus of: "Goodnight Lord." He ignores them and turns over, ready to let sleep take him.

He doesn't need to ask how it went, he knows it went successfully as soon as he sits down at breakfast and a fuming Youngho Seo runs over to him. "You! You're going to pay for this, Taeyong!" He throws a paper right at Taeyong, who barely manages to catch it. **Taeyong Lee sends his best regards.** Ah, that explains a lot. "I didn't-", he tries to reason but he's immediately cut off by Youngho. "Fifty points from Slytherin and two weeks of detention for you." Taeyong just nods and starts eating, he knows it's better not to bother. "And I want you to apologize to all the Hufflepuffs that were affected by those stupid dungbombs." Taeyong turns back around, dropping his toast. "Look Prefect, you can do whatever you want, take as many house points as you want, give me as many detentions as you want but I'm not apologizing for something that I didn't do." He stands up and tries to push Youngho out of his way but the younger won't budge. He looks up at him with a glare and pushes him again. "Get out of my way, Youngho." he says with a sigh. "And why would I do that? I want that apology." Taeyong can see that he's determined to not let him go. "You give me no other choice._Flipendo!_." The Hufflepuff flies a few meters back, landing flat on his ass. Before anyone could even intervene, Taeyong was out of the Great Hall and on his way to the grounds. He doesn't want to go back, he doesn't want to get even more detention, doesn't want his mom to find out. He pushes the door open to the grounds, skipping down the steps towards the Greenhouses. He just needs a breather and he'll be back to the unbothered Taeyong, he's sure of it. As soon as he slides open the doors, he notices that he's not alone. There's a seventh-year Hufflepuff sitting on the ground, hugging a plant close to his chest. "Oh hi, Ten." The Hufflepuff looks up and rolls his eyes. "Fuck you, Lee Taeyong. Those dungbombs almost killed my baby here." Ten glares at him, pure and utter anger in his eyes. "Wasn't me. Well, I don't expect you to believe me but yeah it wasn't me." Taeyong says as he sits down in front of Ten. "You're replanting it wrong. Give him to me." He doesn't wait for Ten's answer, just takes the plant out of his hands. "You need to give them more room to grow, plants like these grow a lot." Ten frowns and looks at him with a questioning glance. "You didn't do it?" Taeyong scoffs and looks up. "Of course it wasn't me. If it was, why would I leave a note like that? Do you guys really think I'm that dumb? "

The two of them talk about it for a while and eventually, Taeyong even manages to convince Ten that it indeed wasn't him. "It's not because I'm a Slytherin that I'm like them. Trust me, there's a lot of Slytherins like me, kind ones." Ten nods and gives him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Taeyong. I didn't know." Taeyong shrugs and smiles back at him. "Not a lot of people do... Now go get a bigger pot for me will you? I want to save this plant for you." Ten laughs and jumps up, going to the back of the greenhouse, in search of a bigger pot. Taeyong is busy with taking care of the plant when the doors of the greenhouse slide open again. "Finally. I've been meaning to get you alone." Taeyong doesn't need to look up to know who the owner of the voice is. "I guess Kang appointed you to punish me this time? That's new, normally she picks one of her top three pets." Taeyong's tone is unbothered, cause that's how he feels. He truly doesn't care. "Well, she isn't too pleased with them right now so I have to do it." The quiver in his voice is almost unnoticeable, almost. "Mark, come here. It's your first time right? I'll help you." The young Slytherin reluctantly walks over to Taeyong, standing next to him awkwardly. "How much time did she give you?" "Fif-fifteen, my Lord." "Don't call me that. Fifteen huh? She must be angry. Now I'll make it easy for you, use my wand okay? So whenever you ready you just perform the curse she gave you and then you time it okay? After that, you can just go and report back to her." Taeyong ignores the fear in Mark's eyes. He's disgusted by the fact they're making a third-year perform dark arts on someone. He's disgusted by the fact that they're already ruining his youth. "Here take it." He offers his wand, pushes it in his hand even. "Don't wait too long, okay? I want to be able to recover before classes start." Taeyong says as he moves the plant out of harm's way. He gives Mark an encouraging nod, telling him to start.

_"Crucio!"_White hot pain takes over him, knocks him back. He can't think about anything but pain. He knows he's screaming but he can't hear it. His body is retching, slithering over the ground, trying to get away from the excruciating pain. He hears a few sobs, probably Mark's and it makes him feel guilty. But before he can dwell over that, another wave of pain takes over. He can't think straight, just wants it to stop. He never gets over the pain. He can take the consequences with ease but the pain, the pain isn't something anyone can get used to. He screams and screams until his throat feels sore, thinks he's going to pass out until it just stops. The pain subdues and Taeyong can see again, he's brought back to the present. "I'm so sorry", Mark sobs before dropping his wand and running out of the greenhouse. A groan leaves Taeyong as he curls up, his eyes squeezed shut. "Oh my god, Taeyong I'm so sorry. I heard him perform the curse and I didn't know what to do.." Ten scrambles to get to the other, worry oozing off him. "Get Doyoung..", Taeyong croaks out. The Hufflepuff nods and rushes out of the greenhouse. As soon as he's on his own, it gets harder for Taeyong to stay conscious. He fights the sleep, knowing Doyoung will be there soon, will help him soon. By the time Doyoung gets there, Taeyong is barely awake. A shocked gasp alerts him of Doyoung's presence and he forces his eyes open. "Hey, Doie.." Taeyong winces, his throat hurting like crazy. "Shut up. Why didn't you tell me another one was coming up? I don't have all the potions right now but I can give you these." Doyoung is down on his knees, cradling Taeyong like a baby. Taeyong gratefully swallows whatever Doyoung gives him, his eyes closing automatically. "Stay with me, Yongie. You're going to be fine."

Nothing is the same after that day. Half of the school looks at him with pity. The other half of the school avoids him at all costs. And Youngho? Youngho is still an ass. He doesn't really blame Ten for telling everyone, you don't find out the 'new Dark Lord' goes to your school every day. He just wishes _they_ hadn't found out. He gets punished every day now because of his slip up, he doesn't even want to think about how bad Mark is having it right now, and his body can barely take it. He's starting to believe that his prediction of 'not going to make it to the seventh year' is about to come out. He's getting skinnier, sleeping less, eating less and overall living less. Doyoung notices, of course he does, but he can't do anything. Taeyong explicitly told him not to. He knows that if the Death Eaters find out he's getting help, Doyoung is going to die. His miserable life has turned even more miserable. Christmas is even worse. He doesn't get to see his mom, doesn't get to see his relatives. Instead, he's taken to the headquarters where they crank up his training a notch. He has to perform charms, jinxes and hexes he doesn't want to perform and if he refuses he gets punishments. One time, they pushed his body so far with the Cruciatus curse that he was sure he was going to die or turn insane. He knows, rationally, that he can't die from the curse but it did feel that way. He's surprised that they haven't used the Imperius curse on him yet. But then again, the last time they did he broke it in five minutes...

-

Getting back to Hogwarts after Christmas Holidays is just hard. The stares have intensified now that he looks like shit and the whispers are crueler than ever. Crazy how his real home doesn't even feel like that anymore. He starts isolating himself, not talking to anyone. It's hard for Doyoung to see his friend turning into someone he's not, to see the life seep right out of him but he's powerless. He spends a lot of his time at the owlery, looking out over the grounds. It's peaceful and it gives him time to just feel. He spends most of his nights there, petting the owls as he thinks about everything that his brain wants throws at him. He usually thinks about things like Quidditch, Doyoung, childhood memories and memories of Sehun. Things that keep him happy. But sometimes his brain takes a wrong turn down memory lane and gives him awful things to think about. Like now, he's sitting at the ledge, shaking from both the cold and crying, the memories of his first lesson in the dark arts flashing in front of him. He vividly remembers how he had to kill his beloved cat, how he had to perform the Cruciatus curse on her first. He was seven. The tears roll down Taeyong's face, wetting his robes. He doesn't even bother wiping them away cause he knows a fresh batch will follow anyway. His train of thought jumps to his mother. How she did everything in her might to protect him as long as she could. He remembers how the order tortured her for days so they could take him. He remembers how he had to watch and how they told him that if he was disobedient him and his mommy would die. He's pulled back to the present when he hears footsteps coming up the stairs. A quick glance at his watch tells him it's past curfew. "Hey, it's past curfew you're not supposed to be- oh it's you." Of course, out of all people that had to find him like this, it had to be Youngho. "Just give me detention and go, I really don't want to be bothered by you right now", his voice is weak and he flinches at the sound of it. Youngho frowns and takes tentative steps towards Taeyong, looking for any kind of reaction. When the Slytherin doesn't give him one, he goes to sit down next to him. "Hey uhm, are you okay?", he tries. Taeyong scoffs. "I have to laugh. Do you pity me too, Prefect?" He looks at his side, making eye contact with Youngho. The latter sputters as he tries to find an excuse. "Don't bother. I know I'm pretty pitiful." The way Taeyong says that makes Youngho feel pretty uncomfortable.

Taeyong expects him to go away after that, hopes he'll go away after that. But Youngho doesn't. He pulls up his knees, resting his head on it while looking at Taeyong. "I think I need to apologize to you." Taeyong hums, not really wanting to have this conversation right now but he also doesn't want to be rude. "At the beginning, I was really convinced it was all you, you know? I was damn sure of it even." Taeyong doesn't need to look at him to know that he's having a hard time saying all this. "You and everyone else", he replies softly. It's silent for a while, a heavy silence that crushes Youngho completely. "I, uhm, I've known since the dungbombs that it actually isn't you. Ten told me... and Sehun scolded me for not believing him." Taeyong sighs and looks up, tears still evident in his eyes. "What else did Sehun say?" Youngho scrapes his throat, scratching his neck. "Well uhm he told me about what you guys did in your fourth year." Taeyong groans at that, flashes of him and Sehun appearing in front of his eyes. "I asked him not to. Stupid Seo", he mutters, averting his gaze from Youngho. "What I'm actually trying to say is that I'm really sorry for causing you all this extra shit when I know you have it hard." "You know nothing about my life, Prefect. Don't pretend that you know how hard it is." Youngho looks down, playing with his fingers. "Do you know what happened to my oldest brother, Taeyong?" Taeyong frowns, biting his lip. He didn't even know Youngho had another brother besides Sehun. "No." "He got tortured to death by the Death Eaters." Youngho's voice is shaking. Taeyong takes a deep inhale, closing his eyes. "Who did it?" A part of him knows the answer already. "Nakamoto Yuta." A shudder runs down his spine. "I'm sorry for your loss. How long did they keep him?" Youngho shifts, taking out a handkerchief and wiping away some tears. "Two years. But they let him go once in a while. They let him come home in order to show us what would happen if we resisted. He was doing so bad, Taeyong. And you're looking just as bad. So trust me when I say that I know how hard you have it." Taeyong turns, looking at Youngho in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?" He's scared, really. Scared that this is his time to take revenge for his brother. "Because I want to help you, Taeyong. They're killing you." Taeyong laughs at that. "They won't kill me. They need me. They just want me more obedient. I might be the new Dark Lord but I'm still their puppet." Youngho hums, putting his hand on Taeyong's shoulder. Taeyong tries not to flinch away. "They're killing you. Let me help, please." "They're going to kill you too." Taeyong is confused. Why is he suddenly changing his character? Why does he suddenly want to help him? "I couldn't save my brother, let me at least try to save you." Ah, there it is. "Youngho. You couldn't have saved your brother and you won't be able to save me. You're not the next Potter. And you don't give a single fuck about me. You don't even know me." With that, Taeyong rises, making his way over to the stairs. "I'm going to help you, Lee Taeyong, just you wait!" Youngho shouts after him. Taeyong snorts and looks over his shoulder. "I'd like to see you try, Prefect."

True to his word, Youngho tries his best to help him. Every morning, he's waiting at the dungeons to escort him to breakfast. Every meal, he sits with Taeyong, ignoring his watchdogs. He tries his best to get to know Taeyong. Learning little things about him along the way. How he likes to take care of animals, for example. Every night he's on patrol, he sneaks Taeyong into the owlery or the library, escorting him back to his dorm after his shift. And Taeyong can't say he doesn't like this new friendship he has with the younger. Of course he's still skeptic, courtesy of a fuming Doyoung snapping at him and telling him that Youngho isn't going to change. But he likes it, likes the way he has two friends now. Two friends that can't stand each other but that's okay. It's funny even, how hard they hate each other. Especially now, whilst they're walking towards Hogsmeade. Taeyong's in the middle, flanked by the Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff. "And so that's when I told Taeil he should maybe shut up and practice", Youngho finishes his story about how he and his best friend Taeil got into their Quidditch team. "Maybe you should follow your own advice," comes the reply of Doyoung. Taeyong shakes his head, already knowing what's coming. "Huh?" answers a confused Youngho. "Shut the hell up." Taeyong bursts out in laughter as Youngho pouts. "You two seriously need to quit hating each other", he tries to say in between giggles. "You're my only friends", he adds softly. Both of them coo, engulfing him in a big hug. "And I'll always be here, Yongie. Even if this giant is running along." Youngho gasps at that, giving Doyoung a punch. "_We_will always be here, Yong." And at that moment, Taeyong feels pure happiness. He feels free. They reach The Three Broomsticks shortly after that, finding a booth rather quickly. They get themselves some Butterbeer before flowing into a soft conversation. They talk and laugh, in Taeyong's case giggle, for hours on end, reminiscing of how much of a dick Youngho has been. It gets so severe that Taeyong needs to call in a little pee-break. "I'll be right back. Please try to not kill each other."

Youngho can't help himself but watch Taeyong as he flaunters off. "You know he's not going to love you back right." Youngho hums in acknowledgment, not taking his eyes off the Slytherin. "And you're okay with that?" Doyoung sounds surprised and that annoys Youngho. "Of course I'm okay with it. As long as he's alive, I'm happy." He finally tears his gaze away, instead looking down at the table. "Since when?" Youngho scoffs, looking straight at Doyoung. "Second year is when I noticed him. End of second year is when I developed a crush. End of third year is when my brother died, resulting in me projecting my hurt and hatred onto him. Fourth year is when I realized he and my brother were fooling around. Fourth year is when I almost beat Sehun to death because of it. Fourth year is when I realized I hated what he did to me. And the rest of the story you know. I think I fell for him maybe last month? Remember that time we snuck out to go flying? Yeah, I think that's when I fell in love with him", Youngho finishes with a sad smile. "Youngho that's-" "Pathetic? Yeah, I know. I'm not proud of it either." It's silent after that, both boys deep in thought. "I don't really hate you...", Doyoung says in an attempt to break the silence. "Aww Doyoungie, are you going to confess your undying love for me? I don't think Jaehyun is going to like that", Youngho says in a mocking way. Doyoung rolls his eyes and smacks him on his shoulder. "I retract that statement, I fucking hate you. But I respect what you do for Yongie. He looks much healthier now that he has you literally spoon-feeding him." To Youngho's surprise, Doyoung sounds grateful. "Wouldn't be able to do it without you by my side, Doie." Doyoung rolls his eyes and cringes away, scrunching up his nose. "Okay now enough of that mushy shit, I'm going to barf." Youngho hums in agreement, taking another sip of his Butterbeer. "He should be back soon, anyway", he says after wiping his mouth. "You should tell him." Youngho is about to answer when Taeyong plops down in between them. "Tell who what?" The two boys look at each other in alarm, trying to come up with an excuse as quick as possible. "I, uh, I need to tell Sehun that I broke his broom", Youngho says, hoping it sounds believable. "You're so clumsy, you giant", Taeyong says with a breathy laugh. And just like that, their conversation starts up again and the three of them spend the rest of their day talking.

-

As the end of the year rolls around, Taeyong feels as if these last few months with Doyoung and Youngho were his last moments of happiness. He still received punishments during the year but he had them to look after him. Now that he was going to go 'home', he would be alone. There would nobody to take care of him after surviving another torturous moment, there would nobody to remind him to eat and there would nobody to remind him to live once in a while. Doyoung and Youngho notice this of course. They notice how Taeyong gets less and less present, how he tells him to not miss him too much, how he constantly thanks them for making his life less shitty. They're worried sick because they also know what's about to come. Youngho gets moodier because of it as well. It's just like two years ago, the feeling of being powerless. He can't help Taeyong out of this and he knows that. He knows that he won't be able to save him. He knows the chances of him coming back next year to a Hogwarts without Taeyong in it, are super high. It makes him feel sick and weak. It makes him feel as if he failed. And as much as both Taeyong and Doyoung try to tell him he can't do anything, he still feels like he has to do more. Try harder. And that's what he does. He starts by asking Taeil and Ten for help. He then figures out the weakest link, which is Mark and squeezes every little detail out of him. Once he's done that, he involves Sehun and his older boyfriend. Together they figure out a plan to rope Taeyong all out of it. The chances of it succeeding are pretty low, but Youngho knows he has to try. He eventually tells Doyoung as well, who doesn't for once bite his head off.

It's the last day and Youngho managed to get Taeyog alone. They're sitting in the owlery, just talking and laughing like they usually do. "I'm going to miss you, Youngho", Taeyong suddenly says, looking up at the other. Youngho looks down, a soft smile appearing on his face. "Will you think about me?" 'Cause I'll definitely think of you', he finishes off in his head. "Hmm, why would I think about you, Prefect?" Youngho knows Taeyong's joking but it still hurts deep down. "Because you love me?" Taeyong gasps and Youngho cringes inwardly, realizing what he just said. It's silent for a while, Youngho feeling like a complete idiot and he's about to apologize when he hears Taeyong mumble softly. "What?" he asks tentatively. "I do.. love you." Youngho looks down at him, trying to catch his eye. "You do?" He can see how Taeyong winces before nodding. "Yeah, I do", Taeyong replies softly. "Good thing I love you too then," Youngho smirks down at him as he watches him take it in. Suddenly, Taeyong turns to him, his eyes wide. "You do?" his voice is fragile, big eyes looking up at Youngho. "Of course I do, Taeyong. Look at you. How can I not love you?" A blush spreads across Taeyong's face and it's about the cutest thing Youngho has ever seen. "I mean, it's not easy to fall for someone who's gonna die or going to 'take over the world'", Taeyongs says. "You're not going to die, Taeyong. I'll make sure of it." Taeyong scoffs at that, shaking his head. "You're not. I don't want them to get to you." He moves closer to Youngho, cupping his cheek. "You're not going to die for me. It would kill me." His eyes search Youngho's, trying to convey how serious he is. "You can't stop me, Yong. They're not getting you." They just stare at each other, a silent game of 'who's the stronger one'. Eventually, Taeyong gives up and looks down. "I don't want you to get hurt, Prefect." Youngho sighs and takes Taeyongs hands in his own. "Look, Yong. I love you. And I know how dangerous that is. I know I'm not the best wizard and I know that they're much stronger than me. But trust me when I say that I'm going to do everything in my might to get you out of there."

The train ride home is bittersweet. Doyoung, Jaehyung, Taeyong, and Youngho managed to get a compartment of their own. They're sharing stories, trying to get each other to laugh as hard as possible. "Okay but imagine Headmaster Kim and Professor Park together!" They burst out laughing, imagining the two, rather odd males, together. "I mean did you see them during Christmas?" Doyoung asks Youngho, who nods. "That dance was rather risky to be honest." Jaehyun gags, shaking his head."Can we please not talk about them getting it on? I would like to not spend the rest of the train ride covered in puke." Taeyong giggles at that and Youngho's heart bursts. He looks down, his eyes filled with love. He ignores Doyoung and Jaehyun's gagging noises and chooses to pull Taeyong closer instead. "You're too cute", he whispers in his ear, nuzzling closer to him. He feels happy, he feels complete. "Stop it, Prefect. You're about to snog your boyfriend in public and that's not very Prefect like behavior", Doyoung chips in innocently. "Piss off, rat", he bites back, ready to go punch him if it wasn't for Taeyong being attached to him. He sticks his tongue out instead. "As if I haven't caught you and lover-boy countless of times before. You really think we Prefects don't check Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?" The two boys turn as red as beets, avoiding Youngho's eyes. Taeyong bursts out laughing, teasing Doyoung to no end. Jaehyun and Youngho share a glance, understanding each other. They both love their boyfriends so much. And even though Youngho and Taeyong just confessed yesterday, he knows it was meant to be for a while. And it sounds cheesy, he knows, but he feels like Taeyong is everything he's been missing. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" All four boys jump up, basically throwing their money at the Trolley Witch. They buy as much as their coin purses allow and they eat until their stomachs are about to explode. "So what are we going to do now?" They look at each other, all deep in thought. "I don't know about you guys but I feel like a nap. Right here", Taeyong stretches out, draping himself over Youngho. "Oh get fucked, Yongie. Out of all times you could stay up late to snog Youngho, you chose the one right before we had to leave." Now it's their turn to go beet red. Taeyong hides his face in Youngho's chest, not wanting them to see him like this.

An hour later they can feel the train slowing down. All four of them know what this means and all four of them are dreading it. "Let's say our goodbye now, huh?" Doyoung suggests, getting up. Taeyong nods, slowly detaching him from Youngho's side. The two best friends embrace each other, both holding back tears. "I'll see you in September, yeah? Your seventh year is important, Yongie", Doyoung sobs into his shoulder. "Yeah...", Taeyong whispers. They stay like that for a while before Doyoung pulls back, wiping Taeyong's tears and giving him a sad smile. He then moves over to Youngho, patting his shoulder. "Hug me like a man, rat" Youngho says, making the both of them laugh. Youngho leans down, embracing Doyoung. "12th of July, not a day later." Doyoung nods and before anyone has noticed them conversing they pull back. Youngho and Jaehyun give each other a small hug. "We'll be going then, give you guys some time." Taeyong smiles gratefully, waiving at the pair as they take their luggage and move out of the compartment. "Come here, Yong." It takes about two seconds for Taeyong to fly in Youngho's arms. "I wish we had more time. There's so much more to talk about with you. I don't want to let you go yet", Taeyong starts. He's quickly stopped by a soft peck on his lips. "You don't need to let me go. We have next year and the year after that when you're training to become an Auror and the year after that, you'll help me through my N.E.W.Ts, right?" Taeyong takes a shaky breath, closing his eyes as he leans into Youngho's embrace. "Youngho... we have to be realistic." Youngho shakes his head, tilting Taeyong's head up. "Look at me, Yong. We have a future together. I'm not going to let them take you away from me. Not now that I finally have you. You're my person, Taeyong. I love you." This makes Taeyong break down completely. Finally, after all these years, he's found someone who actually loves him and now he's probably never going to see him again. "I love you so much, Youngho", he cries in his shoulder. The train comes to a stop then and a whistle is blown. "I don't want to go, I'm scared. I don't want to die, Youngho." Youngho takes Taeyong's hand in his, rubbing his palm softly. "You're not going to, love. I promise."

-

Taeyong clings to that promise as if it was an invisible lifeline. He thinks about it as his mom tells him he won't be spending the summer at home, he thinks about it when the Order forces him to perform dark arts, he thinks about it when they make him kill someone and he thinks about it when they torture him for refusing to kill someone. It's basically the only thing that keeps him alive. Youngho is. He thinks about him whenever it gets unbearable, thinks about that smile, thinks about his clumsiness. It's the 12th of July and he's laying in bed, feeling drained from performing charms all day the previous day. Yuta's in the bed next to him, still asleep. It's about the only time Taeyong can stand him when he's dead silent. He knows Kun will come and get him in about ten minutes so he gets up, putting on some clothes he can find. He's in the process of putting on his pants when he hears something at the window. Frowning, he makes his way over to the window, moving the curtains to the side. "Hong?" If he's not mistaken, that's Youngho's owl. The animal is pecking the window, a letter attached to it's leg. Taeyong looks back, checking if Yuta is still asleep. When he sees that it's clear, he silently opens the window, taking the letter of it's leg. He pets Hong a few times, thanking him for delivering the letter. He quickly opens the letter, a smile appearing on his face instantly.

_My love, Just hold on a bit longer, yeah? You'll be out of that place in no time. I'm coming for you, okay? I love you. -Youngho_

It gives Taeyong some much-needed energy but it also worries him. He doesn't want Youngho to come here. He doesn't want him to risk his life for him. He's pulled back from his thoughts when he hears Yuta shifting in his bed. He quickly stuffs the letter inside of his pocket, petting Hong one more time before closing the window. He draws the curtains again and steps back, turning around. "Good morning, my Lord." Taeyong shakes his head, sighing deeply. Brainwashed, that's what Yuta is. "Don't call me that." Not a second later Kun bursts into the room, telling Taeyong that Kang expects him. He sighs again, following Kun. "Did she tell you why?" Kun shrugs, telling him he hasn't got a clue. It makes Taeyong feel nervous. They reach the door to his office, where Kun leaves him be. He knocks and is let in almost immediately.

She's sitting there, tight smile around her lips and hands clasped in front of her. "Take a seat, Taeyong." Her voice is icy and Taeyong has to suppress a shiver from running down his spine. He walks over to her desk, sitting down in front of her. "Yes?" She tuts at him, shaking her head. "Attitude, Taeyong. You might be my superior in a few years but until then you keep your head down, understood?" Taeyong swallows back his remark, looking down and nodding instead. "I summoned you here today because you've been more resistant. I want my puppet back." She leans over her desk, stroking Taeyong's cheek. "Where has my obedient little pet gone too, huh?" She forces him to look up, a well-known trick of her. She's an expert at Legilimency and it's her way of staying on top and always knowing what's going on. Taeyong knows this and he knows how to block her but he's just not as strong as she is. He gives himself a few seconds of clearing his mind before looking her straight in the eye. He can feel her trying to get in, blocks any attempts that he can manage to block. "Stop, resisting me, Taeyongie", she says through gritted teeth, not giving up. By now, Taeyong's sweating from blocking her. He can feel his control slipping but he tries his best not to. Eventually, she gets through him, he can feel it. It's only for a brief moment but he knows that he's screwed. He closes his eyes, fighting her to his best abilities until he can feel the pressure lifting. As soon as she releases her grasp on him, Taeyong slumps back in his chair. "So there's a boy hmh?" Taeyong's heart stops. "I didn't quite get his name, why don't you tell me, dear. We can get rid of him for you so you can concentrate on your future again. Don't you want that, Taeyongie? Don't you want to lead us? You don't need that stupid boy" he voice is laced with venom. It makes Taeyong's skin crawl. "You're not taking him away from me. You're not ruining my life again." Her smile disappears, the face that Taeyong knows oh so well, appearing instead. "Fine then. I'll get his name out of you the hard way."

Taeyong's eyes widen, immediately grasping for his wand, only to realize that he left it in his room. He jumps up, making a beeline for the door. "You can run all you want, dear but you won't get far. Crucio!" The spell hits him straight in his back, making him drop to his knees. The white searing pain is back in an instant, making him cry out. His upper body hits the floor soon after. "You can make it stop, Taeyong. Just tell me his name and the pain will be gone." Taeyong tries to ignore her, he tries to focus on Youngho, on how the Prefect makes him feel. He thinks about that first night at the owlery and how far they've come from then. He thinks about the times they snuck out to go flying, he thinks about their first kiss, up in the owlery and he thinks about their confessions. He doesn't know how much longer he's going to be able to pull through but he knows that he has to. He doesn't care if it drives him to insanity, he needs to protect Youngho. "Come on Taeyong, I know you want it to end", her voice purrs, trying to convince him to stop fighting. He starts screaming instead, to distract himself. He keeps on thinking about Youngho, keeps on envisioning him. "Sectumsempra!" Taeyong can feel the exact moment the curse hits Kang, the feeling of immense pain subduing. He rolls over, curling up on himself as the sounds of a fight erupt around him. He doesn't know what's happening, doesn't know if he's safe or not. All he can think about is that he has to get away. Without looking around, he starts crawling towards the door, ignoring how drained he feels. "Stupefy!" A groan. "Impedimenta!" Someone hits the floor. Taeyong knows his time of being unnoticed is limited, knows he needs to get to that door before they find him.

He's almost there when two arms wrap around him, pulling him back. He screams and trashes, tries to get away from this person. Tears are running down his face as he tries to get away. "Let me go! Get your hands off of me!" he shouts out, fighting until his body gives up from sheer exhaustion. "Taeyong, come back here, Taeyong. It's me, Yongie, it's me, calm down." He doesn't register the voice at first, doesn't place it. "Let me go!" He starts trashing again, putting up a pretty good fight but his capturer is just way bigger than him. "Taeyong!" And then it clicks. "Youngho?" he croaks out, stopping his movements. "Yes it's me, I'm here, it's me. You're safe now, Yong, you're safe." Youngho is holding back his tears as Taeyong breaks down, sobbing in his embrace. The fight around them doesn't stop, Death eaters and Ministry workers fighting and Youngho knows he needs to get them both to safety. He eyes Headmaster Kim, who shouts at him to get the hell out of here. "Look Yong, we need to go now okay?" Taeyong looks up at him, shaking his head with vigor. "No, no, we can't leave them behind they're just teenagers." Youngho frowns, not quite catching on. "Who are you talking about?" He tries to get Taeyong back up, groaning when he notices that he can barely stand on his legs. "Kun, Sicheng and Yuta. They're brainwashed, you have to believe me Youngho." But Youngho doesn't listen, his anger taking over. He pulls Taeyong along, trying to avoid stray curses. "Youngho please you have to believe me! They're under the Imperius curse!" They walk down a hallway, Youngho barely knowing where they're going. "Youngho!" Taeyong stops moving, effectively stopping Youngho too. "He killed my brother Taeyong! I'm not going back for him. Imperius curse or not. I'm here to bring you to safety. Besides, the Ministry knows that a lot of these people are under the Imperius curse, they're not aiming to kill." Youngho takes his hand again, pulling him along. "Do you promise, Youngho? Do you promise me they won't kill them?" Youngho bites his lip, looking down at Taeyong. "I promise."

They get out of the building in no time, Doyoung standing outside, surrounded by Healers. As soon as he catches sight of the duo, he starts shouting and pointing. "Over there! We need medical attention!" He runs over to the duo, helping Youngho with holding Taeyong upright. It's a bit of a blur for him after that. Before he knows it, he's taken away from Youngho and Doyoung. They feed him a potion and everything goes dark, the world around him disappearing. It's extremely hard for Youngho to let him go but he knows that Taeyong needs help. And he needs to help with the other people that need medical attention. They start to pour out of the building and everything becomes hectic. He helps wherever he can and before he knows it, it's done. They carry Kang Seulgi's lifeless body out of the building, followed by a lot of captured Death Eaters, Yuta, Sicheng and Kun among them. It's over. Headmaster Kim comes out last, alongside Professor Park. "You have detention for three weeks as soon as term starts, Youngho Seo. Your position as a Prefect will be discussed." Youngho bows and watches him go. Doyoung snorts next to him, clapping him on the back. "Oh yes, this is what I like to see. You're actually getting punished for misusing your power as a Prefect. My time has come!" he shouts triumphally. "Oh shut up, rat. If I wouldn't have broken in the Headmaster's office, Taeyong would still be under the influence of the Cruciatus curse." The two of them bicker as they walk over to where Taeyong is being stationed, waiting for him to wake up.

-

"You do know that I need to take house points from you, right?" Taeyong turns around, hiding his smile. "Oh no, I'm so sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be here. Is there any way that I can make it up to you?" He looks at him, innocently. "Breaking into the Prefect bathroom is unforgivable, Taeyong Lee. You're in your seventh year and it's halfway first term, you're supposed to know this." Taeyong pouts, swimming over to the ledge. "What if I let you join me, mister Prefect?" Youngho scoffs, put wriggles out of his robes anyway. "Are you trying to seduce me, Lee?" Taeyong giggles, a blush spreading over his cheeks. "I wouldn't dare." Youngho hums, lowering himself into the bath and swimming over to Taeyong, caging him in between his ars. "Are you sure about that, Taeyong?" he says as he leans closer, their lips inches away from each other. "Positive. Why seduce something that I already have?" With that, he wraps his arms around Youngho's neck, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. Youngho's hands find their way on his hips, encouraging him to wrap his legs around his hips. Their kiss deepens, Taeyong moaning into Youngho's mouth. They stay like that for a while, exploring each other's bodies. It has become a regular thing for them, sneaking out to make out.

Eventually, they do stop, drying up. "Hey Taeyong?" Youngho says as he puts on his robes. "Hmh?" comes the reply. "I want to take you out on a date. Tomorrow. You and me." Taeyong looks at him, pleasantly surprised. "Where are you taking me?" Taeyong walks over to him, helping him with his tie. "Well that's a surprise but it might put my role as a Prefect on the line." Taeyong chuckles at that, pulling away from him. "You're such a bad role model, Prefect. I can't believe anyone would date you." And with a last cheeky grin, Taeyong is gone from the room, off to his double potions class, the remaining hickeys on his neck more than visible. Youngho is left there in disbelief, a small smile playing on his lips. "That boy is going to be the death of me", he mumbles as he leaves the bathroom. The only thing they both don't notice is that they mixed ties, again. Resulting in Professor Park sending them both to detention, where they find each other again, where they bring balance again.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys have enjoyed this mediocre piece of 9.4K words.
> 
> Any type of feedback is welcome!


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